Cry, My Beloved Country....

Thank you to my dear friend and political activist, Mary W, who graciously guest blogged for me below. Her resume includes (and is certainly not limited to) serving as County Democratic chair person and Vice chair of the Rural Caucus (CA), membership in the county Central Committee and, at state level, the Central Committee, entitling her to vote at their conventions. She's presently on the Platform & Resolutions Committee serving at the state level (NM). With thanks and admiration, her words speak for me (though, she's MUCH nicer than I am..trust me!) Read it and weep...

Today is a day when I want to throw open the window, stick my head out and yell at the top of my lungs, "Wake up America, we've been fucked!" Yep, that's my first impression on hearing that John Edwards has suspended his race for President.
I want to yell out to everyone, "I'm done! I won't play this game any more!"

Main Stream Media (MSM) has won and unfortunately, they will determine who wins the end game too. They did this in 2004 and are even better at it now in 2008. The fix is in as far as I can see! If we vote for one of MSM's chosen candidates, they have won AND if we don't vote, they have won! You'd think people would have wised up to this by now.

Perhaps had MSM let John Edwards have something NEAR the media time they gave the other two candidates, Edwards just might have had more votes and more delegates. God forbid that could happen! Perhaps Edwards would have won a couple more states! He or She who gets the media time, gets not only the votes, but the money. Cut a candidate off from MSM and you can expect them to fade away. It saddens me that it appears Americans today are not smart enough to think for themselves! But hey, why bother when you can turn on the tube and have some talking head tell you what to think and what to do.

It reminds me of Wal-Mart and how once they run out of your favorite brand, they don't restock, they make you buy up all the other brands first and then they still don't restock your brand. Well, that's what this reminds me of. MSM dumps all the canidates you like and then make you choose from the ones they want to sell.

Let's see, I could vote for Billary. You know the woman who is all for change. Change? She's tied to the status quo! Change my foot! But people will tell me that I can get two for the vote of one. Frankly folks, I'm sick of dynasties! Let's go with someone NEW! Bush - Clinton - Bush - and Clinton again? Hillary is so mired down in status quo that it's a miracle she can pick up her feet to walk. A strong DLCer who backs the corporations. That doesn't represent me! NO THANK YOU! As a woman, however, it pains me deeply not to be able to support a woman for president.

So now, that leaves me with the boy wonder! Obama. You know, when I first heard him at the Democratic Convention, I thought -- gee, this guy really might be the future of our country. So, I decided to watch him. And watch him I did. Especially in the senate hearing back in 2005. I watched him in hearings with Condi Rice and got to see first hand what a whimp he was as he held out his hand to the other side. At that point in time, I realized he was nothing but a lot of hot air! That brings me to words . . .

I remember him saying, "There is no liberal America, there is no conservative America, there is only the United States of America" Well, let me tell you the straight facts: There IS a liberal America, there IS a conservative America, there IS a rich America, there IS a poor America and these are the people that make up this country. If one can't admit to that, what chance do they have of making real change? Pretty words don't always paint a truthful picture.

And now let's get on to the words of change and hope! Who in this country is not for change and hope?

Remember George Bush when he was running for President? He was the compassionate conservative, he was the Uniter that could reach across the aisle. Plenty of pretty words, just like Obama, but none of them were true. Well, here we have Obama, and God help me as to how many times in one speech he uses the words HOPE and CHANGE. (what a great drinking game this would make)

What I think has happened here, is that Obama became no more than the figment of people's imagination. What is a figment of imagination? It's when people put their expectations, their hopes and wishes onto something and make it real in their mind. And that's what people are doing with Obama. Notice that his speech patterns are hypnotic, but hey, he makes people feel good. And, we all know if he's for hope and change, then he must be for this and for that. Ask them a question about what he has done on a certain topic and they will say, "but he is for change, he has hope and believes we can make change." "He has a plan." Well, pray tell, what is that plan? "Gee, I don't know - but he has to have a plan!" Sure! Folks, it's all WORDS! and words mean nothing. Obama is hope, Obama is change, Obama is our future! - no more than a figment of your imagination.

It pains me to see my friends come to terms with the devil as they pick one of the other remaining candidates now that Edwards has suspended his run. When do people say STOP! enough of this crap?!

There is NO good answer. But, I cannot play any longer. The last seven and a half years of my life has been spent in the Democratic Party fighting against the status quo and for the working person, the middle class, the poor. What I have learned is that when you're up against the status quo - change does not happen. And both of our candidates in the race today are part of the status quo. All you have to do is look at who is endorsing them.

Another thing that totally ticks me off is that it appears, no one is giving consideration as to whether one of these two remaining candidates is capable of winning in a general election! Geeeesh!

For me, I no longer can compromise my values. And that's not an easy stand to take. It's much more difficult for me to say I cannot and will not vote, rather than to hold my nose and vote! but holding one's nose and voting is just continuing the crap!

Perhaps something will come out down the road that could bring Edwards back into the race - my hope. He's left the door open, I think, by suspending his run. Suspending is not the same as withdrawing. All I can do is hope. (Durn, there's that dang hope word again).

If nothing happens where he can come back in, it will be an extremely sad time for me, for most of you, and for our country; as change cannot happen with the same old status quo attitudes. Change calls for a special person who puts people first and corporations interests back where they belong.

I will be voting on Feb 5 and I will be casting my vote for John Edwards! Join me! Let's give John as many delegates as we can - it's the best way to fight back!


"Think - it's not illegal yet."